Victorious: The Hunger Games
by oneofneverlandsmermaids
Summary: Cat Valentine, Beck Oliver, and Jade West each have over twenty slips entered for the Quarter Quell. Will they be chosen? If they are, will they survive the physical and mental tests of the hunger games? May the odds be ever in your favor. Rated T, just in case.
1. Chapter 1

1

CAT POV

We sat frozen together on the couch, our hands intertwined with one another. Even Jade's rigid pale hand had found its way into mine. Beck's tanned hand held my littler one, his thumb gently stroking my palm.

President Snow was on the Oliver's small, old television, picking the quarter quell event. It was the 50th annual hunger games, the second Quarter Quell.

President Snow reached his hand into the big glass bowl that contained the folded papers that had been written before the first hunger games ever took place. His hand played around in the bowl for a few seconds, and then his pale hand with the little white hairs came out with a single piece of paper. He opened it, reading it silently to himself before raising his eyes to lock with the camera. I tightened my grip on Jade and Beck's hand, and I felt them both squeeze back.

"For the second Quarter Quell, four tributes will be chosen from each district instead of the usual two to remind the rebels that for each Capitol citizen killed, two rebels died. Happy Hunger Games."

The crowd's cheering was cut short by Beck turning off the TV.

"Those bastartds," Jade snarled. She stood up and stomped her way over to the front door.

"Jade-" I started.

"No!" she screamed, throwing open the door and running out of it.

"Jade, wait!" I yelled, starting after her, Beck following.

I ran out the Oliver's front door and looked both ways for Jade. Nothing. But I knew where she had gone. It was the only safe place. For us to want, dream, scream. I walked down the steps of the Oliver's front porch and turned back to face Beck.

"Beck? C'mon, we have to go look for Jade," I told him. He started walking towards me, but stopped and looked at something to the left of me.

I turned to see what he was looking at and saw _her _running towards us.

"Beck!" she cried out and Beck ran right to her and she fell into his arms.

"Beck, did you hear? They're going to be picking _four _tributes from each district!" she yelled, holding onto his arms for support. "What if they pick me? What'll I do? I can't, I can't-" she began to cry.

"Tori, they're not gonna pick you, your name's in there, what, five times?" He whispered, pulling her closer and stroking her hair

I started at them, my eyes narrowing. Me, Beck, and Jade were each entered more than twenty times and here was Beck comforting a girl, a merchant girl, who's name couldn't be entered more than five times.

"Beck-" I started, but didn't know what to say. I didn't want to hurt Tori's feelings, but Jade was out somewhere in the forest probably losing her mind. An image of Jade punching multiple tree trunks flashed through my mind.

He locked eyes with me over Tori's shoulder. He whispered I'll meet up with you later. I nodded once, and began walking towards the forest. I dared to look back once and saw Tori holding Beck's face in her hands. I turned away, surprised by how bitter I felt.

I thought about Tori and Beck has I walked to the forest. It wasn't a very long walk, seeing as me, Jade, and Beck all lived on the very edge of the Seam, but many thoughts managed to run through my mind.

I had known there was something between Tori and Beck for a while, even though he would never admit it. I didn't think Beck loved her or anything, because he knew that her parents would never let them be together, but he defiantly felt something towards her. I could see why, she was pretty, and she was really nice. Jade hated her, but I think that was mostly jealousy for how little Tori had to suffer. I liked Tori, but we never really talked much. She would come knock on Beck's door, or wait for him at the edge of the meadow, say a quick hi to us and then they would go off on their own. She never came into the forest, I think she was scared. She lived in a sheltered world, and the forest represented the unknown.

I came to edge of the meadow, coming to the wired fence. The electricity was supposed to be on, but it never was. Still, I always listened to see if I could hear a hum before I climbed underneath. I began running into the forest, the deeper I got in the louder the screaming got. I finally reached the place where we always begun hunting and a knife flew by my head, landing in the tree behind me.

I turned to the direction in which the knife had come from, and saw Jade holding two more knifes. I started walking towards her, but she began screaming, freezing me in my place.

"We're gonna get picked!" she screamed. "I know we are!"

"Jade, there are still other people-"

"Four are getting picked Cat, not two, _four_!" she screamed. She threw a knife into a tree ten feet away. "We have too many sheets in that stupid bowl, we're gonna get picked!" She screamed one more time before falling to to her knees, her face in her hands, her sobs shaking her whole body.

I ran to her, dropping to my knees, and I pulled her into me, squeezing her tight.

"We won't all get picked, Jadey," I whispered, stroking her hair.

"If you get picked Cat, and you die and I have to watch it on TV, I'm as good as dead," she sobbed, choking on her tears.

"I know Jade, it's the same for me, if you or Beck get picked..." I trailed off.

"Beck," she laughed bitterly. "He'll be too busy worrying that his precious Tori doesn't get picked."

"She actually came to the house, she was crying about potentially being picked," I explained. "Beck was comforting her."

"God, she's pathetic," Jade hissed.

"She's just scared."

"Her name is only in there five times, she has nothing to worry about," Jade spat out. "Compared to us Seam kids."

I said nothing, because Jade was right. It was harsh to belittle Tori's fears, but she really had nothing to worry about. Not like us.

"Maybe we should head back," I whispered. "It'll be getting dark soon."

"Can we just...stay here a little bit longer?" Jade asked gently.

I nodded my head, letting go of my tight grip around her, and placing her head on my lap, and I began to stroke her hair. I know that Jade was strong, but even the strongest people needed to be comforted sometimes.


	2. Chapter 2

**Please review :) a lot of the story is going to be in cat's view**

CAT POV

One more day. These words have been ringing in my head all day. Nothing can silence them, not the sound of my bow hitting an animal, or my knifes hitting a tree in my frustration. My frustration at the ringing of the words in my mind, the words that seem tattooed on my brain.

I sit on a log, too annoyed to go on hunting. I toss my game bag on the floor. I see a squirrel's tail peaking out of the bag, and I feel regret. I've never really liked hunting animals that much, not like Beck and Jade. They don't feel regret as their arrow or knife hit an animal, they know that this animal is providing food for their family. I know that too, but I would be happy just picking berries and katnisses. But that won't keep my two younger siblings fed properly, they need the meat to keep them healthy and strong. That knowledge is what gives me the power to release the arrow from my bow and hit the animal in the eye.

I braid my long dark brown hair into a braid down my back and think about how tomorrow is going to be. I'm going to have to boil the water for my siblings baths and make sure that they look presentable. Annie will wear my old reaping outfit and Tommy will use Beck's old one. I'm thankful that Beck and Jade always have my back. Even though Beck has been busy with Tori lately, he's still one of my best friends.

I hear a twig snap behind me, and I grab my bow, load an arrow and whip around to face whoever is behind me all in one quick second.

"Woah, woah, relax kitty cat." Beck emerges from behind a tree with his hands up.

I roll my eyes. "Next time don't try to sneak up on me."

He grins and walks up to me, plopping down beside me on the log. "What are you doing here by yourself? Why didn't you invite me or Jade?"

"Jade is at home, her younger sister is sick," I explain. "And I figured you would be with Tori, since it's Sunday and all." My gaze drops to my feet, Tori is sort of a sore spot with all of us. She's the one who stole away our best friend and he's the one who went willingly.

"Yeah, I'm sorry about that," he whispers.

"It's okay," I mumble. I fiddle with my bow, too nervous to meet his eyes.

"No, Cat, it's not okay," he insists. "You and Jade are my best friends, and I haven't been there for you guys the way I should be."

"Beck, it's okay, I know you care about Tori," I reply, my eyes meeting his and I smile at him. "It's okay."

"No Kitty Cat, it's not, you and Jade mean the world to me," he tells me and he grabs my hand. "Especially you."

I stare down at his hand wrapped around mine. His words drape over me, suffocating me with their intensity. I force my eyes to meet his, I try to force out a reply, but I'm choked by what he's just said.

_Especially you._

He does his famous half smile and squeezes my had even tighter. "I love Tori and Jade, but you'll always be special."

I'm half tempted to reach into my quiver and stab myself with an arrow to see if this is actually happening. I've always known that Beck cares about me, it's obvious. We were each others best friends, until Jade came into our group when we were eight. I'll never forget when we were twelve and Beck and Jade liked each other. I guess that's when I realized how much more Beck meant to me than I did to him. Luckily Jade and Beck grew out of it, I think it had simply been a case of the edges of friendship and romance getting blurred. That and the fact that they were both so beautiful.

His words were a shadow of the three ones I had longed to hear in my deepest, most secret desires. I was a bubbly, loving girl, but underneath that was a girl who didn't understand love, even though she felt it. The though of love paralysed me, the thought of my mother crumbling at my father's death always in the back of my mind. That's where Tori was brave, and I wasn't. She loved Beck freely with no hesitations, while I had nothing bu hesitations.

I smile at him, it's all I can manage. I feel his eyes linger on my lips, and then they trail back to my eyes. He grabs my other hand, is he going to kiss me?

A part of me wants this, but the stronger part knows that I can't have it. Beck is with Tori, and maybe that's where he belongs.

"Are you nervous about the reaping?" I ask, trying to drive his mind somewhere else.

He frowns, and lets go of one of my hands. I let out a breath of relief, I hadn't even realized I had been holding my breath the whole time.

"Yeah," he admits. One of his hands is still interlocked in mine, but the moment has passed, and his hand feels natural in mine.

"Four tributes," I whispered.

He nods. "I keep thinking about all the slips Jade, you and I have. What if one of us is chosen?"

"I don't know Beck," I confess. "The whole thing makes my heart hurt."

He squeezes my hand. "Mine too. The only thing I'm thankful for is that none of our siblings have taken out any tesserae." Beck has two younger sisters, one of which was born just after the mining accident. Jade has one younger sister that she basically raised after her mother and older sister died of pneumonia. I have Annie and Tommy, who are my responsibility since my mother is unable to care for any of us. Annie, Jade's younger sister, and Beck's oldest sister were all twelve, and Tommy was thirteen. We had all been on edge since this was the three girl's first year, the only thing that had kept us going that they each only had one slip, compared to the twenty something each of us had.

"Annie has been having nightmares about it," I say, the distress in my voice obvious.

"Yeah, so has Cindy, I guess it makes sense, we've sheltered them so much," he replies.

I nod, it's true. We've all made sure they've always had enough food, except for the few months when me and Annie almost starved to death after out father's death. We've made their lives as good as it gets living in the Seam.

"I'm just so scared that I'll get picked and Annie will be left with my mother," I confess. "She can't handle my mother, I've protected her, she won't be able to take it."

I feel Beck's body tense beside mine. I sigh, "I'm sorry Beck, I know you don't like to talk about this."

"I just can't imagine anyone being able to hurt you," he tells me, his hand tightening around mine so tightly that it begun to turn white. But I didn't care.

"Well you better hope I don't get picked for the Hunger Games," I joke.

He turns to face, no laughter present on his face. "Don't even joke about that Cat!"

"Beck, I'm sorry-"

He grabs me by my shoulders, and screams into my face, "I can't even think about losing you!"

I stare at him, my big brown eyes wide with confusion. How can he say these things to me, when he's with Tori. Of course his words could simply be bathed in friendship, but his gaze feels so intense.

I reach up and tuck a strand of his long, beautiful hair behind his ear. "You won't, I promise."

He closes his eyes. "That's the worst part. That you can't promise that, Cat. We live in a world where you can be chosen for a sick game, and be gone forever."

"I would try to win, for all of us," I tell him softly.

He smiles "I know you would, you're always so brave Kitty Cat."

I drop my hand, and he releases my shoulders. "Not like you and Jade. I still get upset when I shoot an animal."

"That doesn't make us brave, that makes you compassionate."

I grin at him, the first real smile I've had in days. He grins back, and pulls me into a bear hug. I wrapped my arms around his waist and rest my head on his chest.

We stay like this for a while, neither of us speaking. It doesn't feel wrong, and I don't think of Tori like I usually do when I'm around him. Their relationship isn't a strain on ours in this moment, because it feels right.

Because like he said, I'm special to him in a way no else is. And he's the first one to make me feel butterflies.


	3. Chapter 3

**thanks for the reviews, and I know that lots of people have done victorious hunger game stories, but none have Cat have as the main character, or at least any that I've found**

**JADE POV**

Her screams ring in my ears, even though it's been several hours since Katie's screaming startled me awake. I rocked her for some time, telling her that it would all be okay, that she wouldn't be picked. After all, she only has one slip in the bowl, but it's her first time being entered into the reaping, so her fears were understandable. When it was my first day I had almost broken Cat's hand when we were waiting for the names to be called. My luck hadn't been has good as my sister's at my first reaping, I had more than one slip from the tesserae I had taken out that year. My dad hadn't wanted me to, but I had done it anyways. He understood that it was something that I had to do, even though he disliked it.

I brush my still damp hair wavy black hair and look down at my reaping outfit laying out on my bed. It's a simple light blue dress. It had been my mother's, since I no longer fit into my last year's reaping outfit. Cat had suggested I wear this one, saying it would bring out my eyes. "So I'll look pretty when I'm picked?" I has sniped at her. Cat was silent after that, and I had felt bad, much to my annoyance.

I tug it over my head and stare at myself in the mirror. The dress did bring out my eyes.

"Jade?" a little voice comes from the bedroom door. I turn to see my sister's head peaking through. "Can I come in?"

"Of course," I smile. She walks in, closing the door quietly behind her. She sits on her bed on the other side of the room, her towel wrapped around her still wet body. Her hair is dark and straight and she had my father's dark brown eyes, where I had my mother's green-blue ones.

I walk over to her and start to brush her hair softly. She look up at me with her big brown eyes, and I grin down at her. I finish brushing her hair and grab her reaping dress where I had left it hanging on the window to dry.

"Put it on," I command, tossing it to her.

She obeys quickly, grabbing the dress and dropping her towel. I turn away to give her privacy. I hear the dress go over her body and I turn around. She's staring at herself in the mirror, and I smile at her reflection. The pale pink dress looks nice against her seam-olive toned skin.

"You look much better in that dress than I ever did," I tell her, a big smile on my face.

Her reflection flickers its eyes towards me, frowning. "That's not true."

"Yes it is," I insist. "I would give anything for your skin, mine's so pale."

"Just like mama's," she whispers, tears building up in her eyes.

A tight feeling forms in my chest, I can't stand seeing her cry. Ever since my mom and my older sister died from pneumonia six years ago, I've raised Katie. My dad couldn't do it because he was busy working at the mine, so since I was ten years old, I've tucked Katie in at night, sang to her, made her meals, and protected her from everything.

I pull her into my arms, tears forming in my eyes. I squeeze my eyes shut, trying to make them sink back into my eyes.

Her arms wrap around me, and she only cries harder. "I miss her," she whispers. "Anna too."

The tightening in my chest only grew. I protected her from everything, but missing our mother and our sister wasn't something I could protect her from. It was beyond my control.

So was the reaping.

**BECK POV**

"Cindy, will you please get out of the bathroom!" I holler. "I still have to bathe! And I let you go first!" Using your sibling's dirty bathroom wasn't the most pleasant idea, but I was too lazy to boil more water, and I didn't want Cindy burning herself again like the other time she tried boiling water for my reaping last year.

I try the knob, and it turns open much to my surprise. I knock quietly, "Cindy? Are you decent?"

"Yeah," she mumbles.

I open the door fully and see Cindy already dressed in her pale yellow reaping dress and her hair in two braids.

I smile, "You look pretty." She was starting to look more and more like mom everyday.

She rolls her eyes. "Shut up Beck."

"I'm serious!" I insist. "You look like mom."

"And you look just like dad," she whispers, not meeting my eyes.

I pull her into a hug. "It's going to be okay Cinds, you're not gonna get picked, it's only your first year."

"But what if you get picked, we can't handle losing you." She wraps her arms around me tighter.

"I'm not going to lie to you, I might get picked," I tell her, and I feel her body shake with sobs. "But I might not. Just hope for the best, okay?"

She unwraps her arms from my waist and pulls away, wiping her tears. "I'll try."

I grin, and lean over to ruffle her hair.

"Beck!" she screeches. "You ruined my hair!" She walks right over to the mirror and starts upbraiding it.

"I like it better when it's down," I tease her before leaving the bathroom.

I walk into the living room/kitchen. My mom's sitting at our kitchen table while May Belle plays on the floor with a couple blocks.

I wet a cloth in the sink with some soap and began running it over my face and arms. Reaching my hand into the arm hole of my shirt, I rub down my armpits.

"Aren't you going to take a real bath?" my mom questions.

"Nah, Cindy's fussing with her hair, I'm fine with just a quick cloth bath," I tell her.

"And your hair?"

"I'll stick my head into a bucket."

She chuckles quietly, but I can sense her unease. It's only natural, she's a mother, and two of her children are eligible to be chosen for the hunger games. One of them has over twenty slips, and they're picking four tributes this time. She managed to escape her reapings, she managed to not be chosen, but the price is that she can't protect her children. A mother cannot volunteer for her child, this is only a rule because even the capital knows how strong a mother's love is.

"It's going to be okay mom," I whisper. I take fast steps to the front door, and open the door. I pause at the door frame. "Cindy only has one slip." Before I close the door behind me I hear her response "it's not Cindy I'm worried about."

**CAT POV**

I dunk my head under the dirty, quickly chilling water. It had been warm this morning when I had boiled it, but after Tommy and Annie had taken their baths, it was only just tolerable. It's also dirty, but I'm used to that. I'm usually always the last one to take a bath, not that I mind. I wipe the soup all over my body and scratch some into my hair. I lean my head back, tipping my hair into the water and rinse the soup out.

I reach for my towel and climb out, shaking my hair around. I quickly dry myself, and dress myself in my lavender reaping dress. I brush through my dark brown hair, and debate on braiding it down my back, like I how I usually wear it. I decide to just leave it down, might as well.

I walk out the bathroom, and into the living room where Tommy and Annie wait, all dressed and ready. Tommy's in a plain blue button down and beige pants, thanks to Beck, and Annie in a light grey one, my old reaping dress. Annie chews at her fingernails, and Tommy just stares off into space. He has a greater chance of being picked than Annie because of the one year age difference, but not by much. He only has two slips, compared to her one slip.

My mother chooses this moment to tumble out of her bedroom. Her room is full of alcohol bottles and her breath is permanently drenched in the scent. She doesn't even look at me and Annie, her eyes only fall on my brother.

"Oh Tommy, don't you look handsome," she whispers, her hand resting on her heart. "Just like your father." She walks over and gives him a big kiss on the cheek. She then proceeds to the kitchen, reaching into the bottom cupboard for her stash, which I already know is empty. She hadn't beat the money out of me this week, and I had used it to buy myself a new reaping dress.

Her gaze finally falls on me. "Why am I out of alcohol?"

I force myself to look at her. "Because you didn't buy anymore." A plate nearly hits my head. Annie starts to cry, and Tommy looks like he's going to puke. She only directs her abuse on me, knowing Annie can't handle it, and that I would fight back if she touched Annie. She never abuses Tommy, he's the only reminder of my father she has.

"Don't talk to me like that!" she screeches, grabbing a cup to throw at me. I duck it, and she runs over to me, grabbing me by the shoulders and slamming me into the wall.

"Why didn't you give me the money to buy more?" she demands, slamming me into the wall again.

"I had to get a new reaping dress," I tell her. She raises her hand to hit me, and I close my eyes preparing for the worst.

"No!" Annie screams. My mom releases me, and I open my eyes to see her approaching Annie with a crazed look in her eyes.

"What did you say to me?" my mom growls.

"I-I-" Annie stumbles.

"You can't hit us today, today's the reaping, and the place will be crawling with peacekeepers," he points out. "We can't go in the town's square with bruises."

He's right, we'll be taken out of our mother's care and placed into the group home. Annie and Tommy won't be able to last.

This seems to catch her attention. "It's...it's the day of the reaping?"

I nod. "Yes, I left you a dress in your room to put on. Just wash your face off and brush your hair, and you'll be fine."

She stumbles into her room, in total shock. I guess she had forgotten that today is the day of the reaping, the day that her children can be chosen for the Hunger Games, a place for others to beat upon them and yell bitter words.

Her actions and words have made me tough, they've made Tommy guilty, and they've made Annie weak. I close my eyes and lean against the wall, and pray that I won't be chosen. Not because I'm even scared of the Hunger Games, but because I'm scared of what she'll do to weak Annie, and how she'll shake Tommy's conscience. I hold back tears, and I pray that the odds are in my favor today.


	4. Chapter 4

**I've decided to keep all the characters from Katniss and Peeta's hunger games. And I know that this is Haymitch's hunger games, but he's still going to be district 12's mentor. I only chose the 50th hunger games, so I could have Beck, Jade, and Cat all be chosen and be from the same district. I just wanted to clear that up :) **

**CAT POV**

We walked as a family to the reaping, my hand in Annie's. I knew Tommy ached to hold my hand, but he was too embarrassed to do so. My mom had managed to pull herself together, and she almost resembled the woman that had loved my father and never touched a bottle of alcohol in her life. But his death had broken that woman, and she now hid behind this bitter, angry version.

My mom walked over to where the rest of the adults were standing, and I ushered Annie and Tommy to the check in table. They took a drop of blood from our fingers and marked us down. Annie's eyes had pricked with tears when they took her blood, and it made my heart ache. I push them towards the front, where the younger kids stand. I take my spot near the back, where the older kids are. I'm in the middle of one the rows, surrounded by mostly Seam kids. I hear some people shouting at someone, and I turn to see Jade pushing her way through the crowd to get to me. I grin at her, and she smiles softly back at me as she elbows the kid beside me out of the way.

"I thought it might be less annoying if I'm beside you," she replies. Jade's never been good at expressing herself, but I'm good at seeing past her words to get to the true meaning. That's why me and her are such good friends.

I grab her hand, and she intertwines her fingers with mine. "I know," I whisper. She smiles at me, grateful that I understand what her words can't say.

Effie Trinket gets up from her seat on the the stage and walks up to the microphone.

"Happy Hunger Games, and may the odds be ever in your favor," she chirps into the microphone, in her Capital accent.

Jade mimics her beside me and I giggle softly. My eyes scan the crowd for Beck, and I find him beside Tori. She's holding his hand and chewing the fingernails off her other hand. Beck notices me looking at him, and he smiles and mouths, "it'll be okay." I smile weakly at him before forcing my eyes back to Effie Trinket. She's playing the video they play every year. The video's basically about the uprising and why we have the Hunger Games.

"I just love that," Effie says brightly. "And now to pick our tributes. This year things are a bit different, as it is the Quarter Quell and we are picking four tributes!"

The crowd is silent, no applause or even breathing, it seems. Effie continues.

"Ladies first!" She reaches her hand into the glass bowl with the girl ballots and pulls one out. "And our first female tribute for district twelve is Jade West!"

My heart freezes. Jade untangles her hand from mine, I try to grab it again, but she shakes me off.

"Jade," I whisper as she pushes her way through our row and out onto the path to the stage. She walks with her head high, no emotion showing on her face. She climbs up the steps and takes her place on the stage.

I hold back my tears. Jade's my best friend, I can't watch her die on tv. We've only had one victor from District Twelve and he's a stupid drunk who's fallen asleep on his chair on stage. The odds are against Jade.

I'm so focused on Jade being picked, that I barely hear the next tribute being picked. All I hear is Valentine. Is it me? No, it's worse. I see Annie walking out of her row in the front, walking slowly to the stage. No, it can't be Annie. She was one slip in thousands.

I don't have to push my way through, everyone in my row clears the way. I step out of my row, my hands reaching for Annie.

"Annie!" I choke out. Annie stops and looks at me, her dark eyes scared. Two peacekeepers come beside me to grab me and drag me back into my row, and away from Annie.

I start to fight against them, and I scream, "I volunteer!" I push one of of me, and the other backs off. I stand straight. "I volunteer as tribute."

There has never been a volunteer in district twelve. The word here basically means corpse.

"No!" Annie yells, tears choking her. She grabs at me and I bend down and whisper, "I'm so sorry Annie." She grabs on to me and won't let go. Someone comes and takes her away. It's Tommy, who looks crushed, but he holds back his tears as he drags Annie away.

I walk up to the stage, climbing the stairs, my knees going weak at the sight of Jade, who didn't even have tears in her eyes when she got chosen, and who now has a tear running down her cheek at the sight of me walking up the stairs. She wipes the tear away and looks at her feet.

Effie grabs my arm and pulls me towards the microphone. "What's your name dear?"

"Caterina Valentine," I say, my voice cracking.

"That was your sister wasn't it?" she asks, and I nod. "Let's have a round of applause for our first volunteer ever!"

No one applauds, or even makes a sound. Instead, they do something I totally don't expect. They hold up their middle fingers of their left hands to their lips and then hold them out to me. It's a sign of respect, and I am totally on the verge of tears.

Effie ushers me towards where Jade stands, and goes back to her microphone.

"And now for the boys," she replies, reaching into the glass bowl for the boy names.

"Robbie Shapiro!" I don't recognize the name, but when he steps out from the crowd and walks onto the stage, I remember him as a boy in our grade. He's always quiet, and I've seen people pick on him. One time, when we were seven years old, I stood up for him when he was getting the shit kicked out of him, and one of the bullies pushed me to ground and kicked my side. Beck had attacked the Bully, and we had all ended up in the office. The teachers kept a closer eye on Robbie since then, but the bullies still manage to taunt cruel words. Robbie was just different, his only friend was a dummy, it wasn't that people didn't try to be his friends, he just didn't want to be friends with anyone.

"And now for our second male tribute," Effie says as she reaches into the glass bowl. "Beck Oliver!"

I feel like I've ran into a brick wall, and my brain is just too numb to comprehend what it's hearing and seeing. I see Beck walk out of his row, I see Tori crying, and than Beck walks up to the stage and takes his place beside Robbie.

"District Twelve, I give you your 50th Hunger Games tributes!" There's a brief applause, but everyone from the Seam has grim expressions. They know that Jade, Beck, and I are best friends. They know they are about to see a most brutal and heartbreaking Hunger Games.

Peacekeeps come up onto the stage and direct us towards the Justice Building. This is where we'll say our, most likely final, goodbyes.


	5. Chapter 5

**JADE POV**

I pace the room they've put me in, waiting for my father and sister, so we can say our final goodbyes. Me, Cat, and Beck. Can this be any more screwed up? I'll have to go into an arena where I'm supposed to fight to the death, with two people I love. We always made a pact that if one of us got chosen, the other two would take care of the chosen's family. Bring them game, vegetables, fruit, that sort of thing. I never thought we would all get picked. Well...to be fair, Cat wasn't picked, she volunteered. I would have done the same thing though, if it had been Katie who was picked.

The door to the room suddenly swings open.

"You have three minutes," the peacekeeper barks.

Katie and my father rush in, and Katie leaps at me, and I wrap my arms around her tightly, fighting back tears. I stroke her hair, and coo to her.

"I'm so sorry," I whisper to her, pulling her in tighter. She's already lost her mother and one of her older sisters, and now she's losing the other one, the one who raised her like a daughter.

She pulls away from me. "You'll try to win, won't you?"

I nod, tears forming in my eyes. "Of course."

I walk over to my dad. We love each other, but we've never really been affectionate with one other. I know I may never see him again, so I wrap my arms around his waist. His arms wrap around my shoulders. Its a bit tense, but that's how we both are. The only people I can hug freely are Cat and Katie. The only person he could ever be affectionate to was my mother.

"You're strong Jade, you could win," he whispers.

"That doesn't even matter, just take care of Katie," I tell him. "Boil her bath water and fill it with bubbles, make her pancakes on the weekend, and tell her you love her. That's all I need."

I feel his head nod against my shoulder, and I know that I can die at peace now. I break away from him, and I smile at both of them. "I love you," I tell them.

Right at that moment, the peacekeepers break in. They grab my father and sister, Annie's screaming for me, and I feel the tears leak down my face.

"Go to Tommy!" I scream. "He knows what to do." Beck had taught him how to set up snares and Cat taught him all about the plants in the forest. The door closes, and I know that's the last time I'll ever see them. I kick the door and finally release all my tears.

**BECK POV**

They separated us when we got inside the Justice Building, the nicest building in District 12, this is where we say goodbye to our families. In District 12 its regarded as the last time you'll ever see your family.

I sit down in one of the chairs in the room, going over the events of the reaping in my mind. First when Jade got chosen, my heart sank. I didn't even have time to truly comprehend the fact that she was going into the Hunger Games, when Annie got called. My eyes immediately went to Cat. She looked like she had just gotten kicked in the stomach. I wanted to run to her, to take her in my arms and calm her down, like I always have. I've always taken care of Cat, not that she even needs me to, but it's just always been my instinct. I actually felt my hand reach for her, the hand that wasn't being squeezed by Tori. But then she started walking out of her place, and than the peacekeepers grabbed her. I took a step out of line, my instincts kicking in at the sight of them grabbing her and the distress on her face. But than she pushed one of them off, as she screamed "I volunteer." It shouldn't have surprised me, Cat is selfless. I felt like someone had actually tore out my heart. Cat, my Kitty Cat, couldn't go into the Hunger Games. She had been my best friend since we were two and had met when we had both taken off from our yards. Our parents found us holding hands, and after that day, we had asked to play with each other everyday. It was instant between me and Cat, she was meant to be in my life. I knew that she was tough, but I couldn't handle ever having to watch her in the Hunger Games, fighting to the death. And then they chose me. I was upset at the fact that the last person in our group had been chosen, meaning that our families would be on their own, but I was almost relieved. Maybe this way, I could make sure Cat got to go home.

The door suddenly opens, and my family rushes in. "You have three minutes." The door slams shut.

"Beck!" my mom cries. She takes me into her arms, and starts stroking my hair.

Cindy's eyes are red and puffy from crying. May Belle is holding Cindy's hand, her face confused. She doesn't understand why everyone around her is falling apart, and I'm thankful for that.

My mom lets go of me, taking my face into her hands once and kissing me on the forehead. "I love you," she whispers.

Cindy grabs me, her arms tight around my waist, and I kiss the top of her head.

"Take care of mom and May Belle," I instruct her. "Go to Tommy, he knows what to do." She nods her head. She doesn't even beg to me to try and win, and neither does my mother. I think they know that I could never let Cat die out there, and if I do come back, I won't be the same. I think they've always known how special Cat is to me, so they don't make me promise something useless.

I bend down so I'm eye level with May Belle. I realize I'll never see her grow up. "I love you May Belle, be good for mom." I take her into my arms, and I close my eyes, feeling them brim with tears.

I let her go, standing up I face my mother. "Don't let them take out any Tesserae. You can get by with your laundry service, and Tommy will teach Cindy about the plants." She nods her head, and I know she means it, I know she'll obey my last wish.

"I love you all," I say. Right at that moment, the door opens and the peacekeepers grab my family. The door closes and I'm ready to cry, but than the door opens again.

"You have one minute," they tell me, and Tori runs in. She jumps at me, her arms going around my neck. I wrap my arms around her waist, and she pulls in tighter. She's crying on my shoulder, and I rub her back gently.

"You can't go," she chokes out. "I love you." This is the first time she's ever said that to me.

My eyes shut tightly and I stop breathing, because I know that she means it, and when I say it, I won't. I like Tori, I like her a lot. She's pretty, she's nice, and sweet. But I don't love her. Falling in love leads to children, and in our world, our children's names are placed into a bowl, where they can be chosen to compete in a contest where twenty three children go in, and only one comes out.

"I know Tori, but I have to go," I tell her. "I don't have a choice.

She lets go of my neck, and holds my face in her hands. "I know you can win. And when you come back, I'll marry you."

Tori and I have never even touched on the idea of marriage, because her parents would never let her marry a guy from the Seam like me. But if I ever won, I would live in the Victor Village and be loaded.

I look into her eyes, and I don't have the heart to tell her I plan on saving Cat. Sweet, selfless Cat who deserves to have someone save her.

"I'll try," I whisper. She leans in and kisses me, her tears streaming down her face.

The door slams open and the peacekeepers take her away, she tries to fight them, her hands reaching for me, but they're too strong for her. I can hear her screaming for me even after the door shuts.

**CAT POV**

I'm numb. I have to be, that's the only explanation for why I'm not crying and screaming. I'm going into the Hunger Games, and I'm going with Jade and Beck. One of us has to win, that is evident. I know I have taught Tommy all about plants, and Beck has taught him about snares, but that isn't enough. I need to be here, to take care of them. And if I can't, the only people I can trust are Jade and Beck. I know that either of them would take care of Tommy and Annie, and I would do the same for them. One of us has to come home, and I know it won't be me. I can just feel it, who could ever picture me killing someone? As if I would even get the upper hand, I think bitterly.

The door opens, and before the peacekeeper can even bark out the standard command of "three minutes", Annie rushes in, and I take her into my arms. She's sobbing, her whole body is shaking with violent tears.

"It's okay Annie," I whisper.

"Why did you do that Cat?" she demands. "Why did you volunteer? It's all my fault that you're going to the Hunger Games!"

"I love you, that's why," I say simply. How can she even question why I would take her place. I love her, and while I've always had no power over the reaping, I've always had the power over whether she actually goes to the Hunger Games, and I'm thankful for that silver lining in this dark, miserable cloud.

"You'll try to win, won't you?" she sobs into my chest.

I close my eyes. I don't want to lie to her, I know I can't win, but I can promise to try. Going down without a fight has never been my style anyways. "Of course."

I give her a kiss on the forehead, before she lets go of me. Tommy walks over to me, and I finally realize how tall he's gotten. He's already a few inches taller than me, and he's only 13. I place a hand on his cheek.

"You're that that little anymore, are you?" I ask, with a sad smile. It's bittersweet, I'm happy to know that he's big enough to handle himself and protect Annie, but I'm sad that I won't get to see him get older. I won't see him or Annie get married, or have kids. I pull him into my arms, and he holds me back, something he hasn't done in a while.

"I love you," I whisper. "Please take care of Annie, and help Beck and Jade's family."

I feel his head nod against my shoulder, and I release him.

"Will you...will you take this as your tribute piece?" he asks, holding out a gold, mockingjay pin. I nod my head, and take it from him.

"Where did you get it from?" I question, as I pin it onto my blouse.

"My friend Madge gave it to me, to give it to you," he explains. "It was her Aunt's, and she wants you to have it."

"Tell her thank you." I turn to my mother. I don't what to say to her. She's beaten me for the past five years since my father died. She left me to take care of two younger siblings will she laid in her bed and drank all day, only coming out to take out her anger and rage on me. I know she loved my father, and I know it broke her, but the monster that emerged is unforgivable. Not for beating me, I can take it, but for letting me and Annie almost die. She would give Tommy any food she could find, and make him eat it, even though he cried for her to give me and Annie some. It was because he was the last piece of our father that she had. Eventually Tommy started to starve too, but not like me and Annie. She stole my childhood away and ruined my perspective on love.

"Cat..." she trails off. She's sobered up, and I think she knows what she's caused. Maybe she can see it in my eyes, the eyes that hold pain and suffering. I'm not the same bubbly girl I use to be, only Beck, Jade, Annie, and Tommy can bring her out. They bring her out, because that girl remembers them and is powered by the love her and I both hold for them. My mother sends that girl back in, cowering in fear.

"I love you mom," I tell her. "Please, I know nothing can erase the past and change our relationship, but please, try for Tommy and Annie. They deserved to be loved."

She meets my eyes, there are tears in hers. "You do too."

Before I can even take in what she's said, the doors open and the peacekeepers grab them, Annie and Tommy scream my name, but it sounds like it's miles away. The door slams, and I sink to the floor.

"_You do too." _


	6. Chapter 6

This chapter is short, but i just wanted to do a quick update :) the next chapter is going to be them on the train, and i already have some good ideas !

**CAT POV**

We're being directed towards the cars that well take us to the train station. I'm thrown into a car with Beck, Jade and Robbie are tossed into the other one. The peacekeeper starts the car and starts driving to the station. The train station is the edge of our district, around a five minute drive.

Usually when Beck and I are together, we can't shut up. But things are different now. Maybe the fact that I know I can die or he can die, or even worse we can both die in the arena should encourage me to talk to him, to spend every last moment I have with him, but looking at him breaks off more pieces of me. He's always been the only one who'd held me together, I know I'm a lot to take on, but he always has. And the fact that I'm going to lose him destroys me.

"Cat," he whispers.

I nod my head to let him know that I'm listening, but I can't bring myself to look at him. Every time I do I remember all the things we've shared in the past fourteen years. Jade's my best friend also, but Beck is different- I love him. I have forever. I realized I liked him when we were twelve and I got jealous over him and Jade, but I thought it was just a crush. Sitting in this car with him, watching our home pass through the windows of the car, its finally dawning on me that I love him.

"Cat, please don't let this change everything," he whispers, and I feel his eyes on me. "I can't handle you not talking to me. Cat, please look at me."

I bite down on my bottom lip, trying to hold back tears. Throughout the whole reaping I was numb, saying goodbye to my family, I didn't even cry, but Beck is breaking through the numbness, he's breaking through to my emotions. How can he do that?

He grabs my hand, and everything breaks, the numbness is gone. I feel everything. I miss the numbness.

"Cat, you mean the world to me, going into the Hunger Games isn't going to change that."

I force myself to look at him, and even though it hurts, I'm happy that I have. He gives me a half smile, and I squeeze his hand.

"Nothing will change how much you mean to me too," I whisper.

But somehow I know that even though we both mean it, our promise will be broken, the Hunger Games is just too big of a weight for a friendship to carry.

**JADE POV **

I had been wanting to talk to Beck and Cat since the reaping, but the peace keepers had just kept dragging and throwing us places. I had been tempted to elbow this one in the gut when he yanked on my arm, but I decided against it. They couldn't punish me, I was going to the Hunger Games, the biggest punishment of all. They would just punish my family, which would be punishing me. I guess they win either way.

Robbie and I don't say anything for the first two minutes of the drive. The silence isn't uncomfortable, it's just sort of annoying how he won't even look at me. But than again, he never has. He's always looked away, I think he's scared of me. I quickly glance at him, and his expression is blank, its like...he's given up already, accepted his fate. He knows he can't win. Something inside of me twitches, looking at this boy, this boy who has no hope in himself...it hurts. I don't think I can win either, but I haven't given up, and he shouldn't either.

I want to say something, but I don't know what to say. I can't ask him to be friends, I'm about to be thrown in the arena with him. He might think I'm just playing mind games, or he might believe I'm being genuine, and it'll just hurt him more if he sees me get killed, or if it ever came down to just me and him.

He catches me looking at him, and I do the only thing I can- I smile. He seems surprised, but he smiles back.

I look away, I'm satisfied. I want him to know that even though he'll be alone in the arena, that I do care, even if it's only in a tiny way. That he's welcome to stand beside me in training, smile at me, or roll his eyes to me about one of the other tributes. That he has a confidante in one of the hardest things he'll probably ever go through.


	7. Chapter 7

**Sorry for the wait :D please ignore any spelling errors, i'm really tired, but i wanted to finish this for you guys, enjoy ! Its pretty long :) **

**BECK POV**

The cars bring us to the train station. I've never actually been on a train, the only ones district 12 ever uses are the ones to ship out coal. This train that awaits us is one from the capital; sleek and fast. It won't take us very long to get to the capital.

We're ushered into the train, and after a short walk down an hallway, we're brought into a pleasant room with comfy chairs places around a glass dining table and a buffet table stacked with food. My stomach growls loudly, and I can hear someone lick their lips in anticipation.

"Go ahead! Eat up!" Effie chirps at us.

We don't have to be told twice. We all grab a plate and began piling things onto it. Real bread, chicken in cream sauce, pasta with a wine tomato sauce, steak smothered in mushrooms, and oh! The desserts. Cupcakes, cakes, cookies, pies, the list is endless. I notice Cat has piled at least five red velvet cupcakes onto her plate. I smile, remembering that they're her favourite, and that her dad always bought her one from the bakery on her birthday, before his death. She takes a seat by the window, and stares at the cupcakes on her plate. I feel my chest seize up at the obvious pain on her face, she loved her father so much, and late at night, I can still sometimes hear her screaming for him on that fateful date. I lost my father too, but no one was more broken than Cat on that day.

I take a seat beside her. I want to say something, to comfort her, but there are no words. Funny how that works, how at the most important times, when you have the most to say, nothing. But when you should really keep quiet, you just shove your foot further into your mouth.

She notices me looking at her and smiles sadly. "I just wish he was here, so I would know that Annie and Tommy would be okay."

She's always so selfless, she's on her way to a place where twenty four people go in and one comes out, and still, all she can think of is her siblings. I squeeze her hand.

Jade plops down on a chair across from us, Robbie following. Jade grabs a chicken leg and starts devouring it, leaving pure bone. She's quick to move onto the pasta. "Eat up, the food's delicious!"

Cat laughs and takes a big bite of the red velvet cupcake. Her eyes close has she chews it. "It's wonderful," she whispers, opening them.

I take a bite out of the creamy chicken, and inhale the rest within seconds. Robbie is already on his fourth cookie, and Effie is just staring at us like we're savages fighting over deer intestines.

"I'm pleased to know you find the food good," she manages, looking a little green. By this time Jade's hands are covered in grease, I have cream trickling down my chin, Robbie has gotten crumbs all over his shirt, and Cat has frosting on her nose.

A few moments later, our stomachs are bloated and we're groaning in pain.

"I take it you're finished eating?" Effie asks, looking amused. We all grunt out responses. "I'll show you to your compartments." She stands, and motions for us to follow her. She leads us down a corridor, and points to four doors, indicating which belongs to whom.

I open the door, and find a room, which also contains it's own dressing area and private bathroom. The bathroom has a shower, something no one has in district 12. I turn it on and find that the water is nice and warm, a luxury that also doesn't exist in district 12. We only have warm water if we boil it. I peal off my reaping clothes and hop into the shower, it's like summer rain, only warmer. After the shower, I decide to change into a beige pair of cargos and a grey shirt, provided by the capital. I also choose a pair of brown combat boots.

I hear a knocking at the door, and go to answer it, finding Cat on the other side of the door. She's changed also, into a light wash jean and a black long sleeved.

"This was the simplest outfit I could find," she explains. "Unless I want to look like a bowl of fruit."

I laugh, remembering some of the outfits I came across as I was searching. "Wasn't the shower amazing?"

Her eyes light up. "It was like being in rain, but warmer. It was...it was magical." She grins at the end.

The door suddenly flings open, and in comes Jade, changed into black cargos and a black v-neck, and dangerous looking combat boots. Jade has always favoured black.

"Awwe don't you two look cute, I like the black, Cat," Jade says, grinning. "You usually like to go a bit more colourful."

"All the outfits with colours, are so..." she trails off.

"Capital?" I finish. She nods.

"Well, I guess we better get used to that," Jade points out. "The food almost makes up for everything."

"It's just so weird how simple it is," I whisper. "We would have to hunt and trade just to get all that stuff. They just...get it."

Jade's jaw clenches and Cat just looks at her feet. You never truly realize how easy and wonderful the citizens of the capital have it, until you experience some of what it has to offer. And we're still on the train for god's sake, imagine how wonderful it is there.

"Cat, what's that?" Jade suddenly asks, pointing at something. I look over to see what she's pointing at, and see a gold pin on Cat's shirt. It's a bird of some sort, what it's a-

"Is that a mockingjay?" I ask, flabbergasted. A mockingjay is a total slap in the face to the Capital. During the rebellion, the Capital bred a series of mutations, and one was a jabberjay. They were created to eavesdrop on the rebels in the Dark Days, memorizing entire conversations and repeating them back at the Capitol. Once they were discovered, the rebels fed endless lies to the birds, and sent them back loaded with false information. After the lies were discovered, the Capitol closed the laboratories and they were left to die off. They did, eventually, but not before they passed on their genetic code to female mockingbirds. This was unforseen, because no one expected them to have the brains to reproduce. The offspring were called mockingjays, and, while they had lost the ability to memorize words, they could mimic any sounds from a child's high-pitched warble to a man's deep tones, and even songs with multiple verses.

Cat unpins it from her shirt, her expression stunned. "I-I didn't even notice, Tommy gave it to me, he asked me to take it has my tribute piece. I mean, I know it was a mockingjay, but it never seemed to really register...oh my." She holds it in her palm, and her eyebrows furrow and she looks like she's on the verge of tears. It hits me. I realize why this bird has such an effect on her. Her father used to always sing, and when that man sang, all the birds in the area would fall silent and listen. I know from memory that Cat has a beautiful voice, but she doesn't like to sing very much anymore.

She closes her eyes and grips it in the palm of her hand, and a single tear falls down her cheek.

"Cat," Jade whispers, the pain in her voice evident. I know Jade has never really been good with her emotions, she can never broadcast how she really feels, she always throws a mask over herself. But sometimes she lets herself slip, and you can see real emotion on her face, and it usually always involves Cat or her sister, Katie.

I take a step closer to her, and I try to say something, but once again, no words. I wanna slam my head into a wall, why am I so useless? This poor girl, who has done nothing but give her whole life, and I can't even give her some comforting words. But nothing seems good enough, not good enough for her.

She opens her eyes and takes a deep breath, and pins it back onto her shirt. She wipes the lone tear away and smiles at us.

"Let's go eat." And then she's out the door, walking down the hallway, like nothing even happened.

**CAT POV**

I walk fast down the hallway, rushing to get to the dining compartment before Jade and Beck catch up with me, and confront me. I can't handle explaining myself, because there is no way to explain how I feel. You can only experience, live through it. My father's death broke me, and everyday since then, has chipped away a piece of me, and pretty soon I'll be nothing.

Before his death...I would giggle at nothing. I would sing to birds, I would randomly break out in dance, and grab Beck's hands and spin him around. I would make Beck dress up and put on plays with me, and later Jade. But after my father's death, I had to take care of Annie and Tommy, because his death shattered the woman my mother was, and left a bitter shadow of her.

I am still a loveable person, I always put people before myself, I am still sweet, and I can still laugh and grin, but only for certain people. I think Beck remembers that happy girl he grew up with, and that's why he tries so hard for me. He tries to make my day brighter. I remember once in the middle of the playground, when we were 14, he picked me up and lifted me up by my waist, and started to sing to me. _And beautiful is all I see, __It's only you, I know it's true. It has to be._ I had giggled loudly and joined in, and I still remember the grin on his face has he twirled my around. Beck always tried, and I think that's why I fell in love with him, even if I didn't realize it at first.

I plop down in a dining chair and sigh. If only I hadn't realized just how much after we were reaped.

Jade and Beck walk in after, their eyes on me, but they don't mention what happened earlier, knowing that it would be inappropriate in such a public place. Beck takes a seat beside me and Jade takes one across. Robbie walks in a few minutes later, and with a small smile at us, takes a seat beside Jade.

Effie prances in and takes the seat at the head of the table. "Where's Haymitch?"

Jade, Beck, and I all shrug. "Last I saw him, he said he was going to take a nap," Robbie replies.

It's nice to hear Robbie talk, even if it's only to answer a question. I notice that he keeps fidgeting his hands, and I'm reminded of his puppet- Rex? He never goes anywhere without, it's his best friend. Even though it's rude sometimes. My heart sinks for Robbie, poor guy. You get to have a tribute piece, but not something has big has a puppet. It's a shame really, I think Robbie deserves to have Rex by his side, especially if he's killed. But what exactly is fair about the games?

Supper is served and it comes in courses. A thick carrot soup, green salad, lamb chops and mashed potatoes, cheese and fruit, a chocolate cake. We all dig in, careful to use the shiny cutlery, unlike our first meal where more food got on us than in our mouths.

"At least you have decent table manners," Effie says. "The pair last year ate everything with their hands, it upset my stomach so much, I could barely finish my meal."

The pair last year were two kids from the Seam who'd never, not one day in their life, had enough to eat. I know Jade's mom had taught her and so had Beck's, and I had just learned on my own that it was proper. I'm not sure about Robbie, he could be just doing it because we are, but I don't know him too well, he may have been taught. But it's still such an insult to the memory of those two kids. Jade makes a point of eating everything with her hands, chewing loudly, and wiping her hands on the tablecloth. This makes Effie purse her lips tightly, and Jade just smirks.

After eating, we go into another compartment to watch the recap of the reapings across Panem. We watch one by one, the names called, and the few volunteers that step forward. Only a few stick out in my mind. A monstrous boy who lunges forward to volunteer from District 2. A fox-faced girl with sleek red hair from District 5. A boy with a crippled foot from District 10. And most hauntingly, a twelve year old girl from District 11. She has dark hair and brown eyes, but somehow she reminds me of Annie. When they ask for volunteers, all you can hear is the wind whistling. No one is willing to take the place of this child.

Last of all they show District 12. Jade being called, marching to the stage. Annie being called, me running to her, and pushing the peacekeepers out of the way. Tommy dragging her away. My District throwing me up the sign of respect. Robbie is called. And then Beck. I see my expression has Beck is called, devastation. Our reaping has certainly stood out.

"Wow," Jade breathes. Her face when I walked up the stage, pain. She's like my sister, it might has well been Katie walking up to meet her.

Hatmitch chooses this moment to walk into the room, wasted. "Did I miss supper?" he asks, and than he falls to the ground, knocked out.

"We're screwed," Jade hisses.

"We already were," I whisper. _  
_


	8. Chapter 8

**JADE POV **

We all stare at each other for a few moments, unsure of how to respond.

"Should we help him up?" Cat asks, quietly.

"Let him rot there," I say harshly, pushing my chair back and jumping out of it. It's been a long day and all I want to do is crawl into bed and slip into unconsciousness. "I'm going to bed."

"Goodnight dear," Effie says brightly. I roll my eyes and stomp my way out of the compartment. When I reach my room, I slam it close and lock the door. I flop down on the bed, unsure what to do with myself. It's around nine and dark outside, but I'm not tired, I'm just restless. Being on this train makes me feel trapped, I can't just open the door and run out, I'm stuck here.

I belong to the capital.

My eyes widen at the thought, my breath short. I belong to the capital. I am totally at their mercy. I always have belonged to them, all of us do, but before I could block it out. I was able to go the woods, illegally of course, I was able to go to school, I was able to go where I wanted to, as long as it was within the district. I had choices, although limited, I still had them. They were mine, now all my choices are decided by the capital.

"Jade?" a soft voice says, while knocking gently. "It's me Cat, are you okay?"

"I'm fine," I yell. I'm really not in the mood to talk, especially after this sick realization that just hit me. Hiding under the covers and pretending that I live in a different time, a different world, sounds much for intriguing.

"Jadey please," she pleads.

I groan, I can't even see her but I can picture her big puppy eyes looking up at me. I jump off the bed and stalk my way over to the door, unlocking it and flinging it open before dashing back to sit on my bed.

She closes the door tentatively behind her and sits beside me. She stares at her hands for a few moments, and the silence starts to annoy me.

"What do you want to talk about Cat?" I ask irritated.

"I haven't got a chance to talk to you one on one since the reaping," she explains. "I just wanted to know how you were doing."

"Peachy," I growl.

She looks up at me. "Jade, for real."

I sigh, she's my best friend, who else can I be straight up with? "I don't know if it's really sunk in yet, where we're going," I whisper, casting my eyes downward, finding it hard to face her.

"Do you think...the games will change us?" she says so quietly I barely hear.

My eyes snap back to hers. "Of course they will Cat, they change everyone."

She nods her head slowly. "I suppose."

"You don't think you'll kill anyone, Cat?" I ask.

She bites her bottom lip. "I don't know, that's whats bothering me. I don't just want to lie down and give up, but the thought of killing someone..."

It crosses my mind that it could come down to me and Cat, or me and Beck, or even all three of us. Then what? At this moment I can say I would sacrifice myself for Cat, that we all would for each other. But I know the games change people, and I can see myself giving in to the violent, cruel nature of the games, allowing it to morph me into the worst version of myself. I can even see it changing Beck into a monster. But Cat...I can't see it changing her.

I can see it breaking her.

Cat is a strong person, but she is selfless. The funny thing is that if it came down to a fight between me and Cat, I could see Cat gaining the upper hand. She's taken beatings from her mother, she can take a punch and get right back up, to fight. But I can be vicious and ruthless, where she can't. She would probably end up on top of me with a knife, the chance to win all hers, but would back up and drop the knife, crying. Cat is not weak, but Cat isn't a killer.

I pull her into my arms, and she leans into me, and I rub her hair softy, cooing. This maternal side is one only Cat and Katie can bring out, no one else. I don't tell her it's going to be okay, because I'm not really one to lie, and Cat isn't stupid. We're going into the Hunger Games, nothing is okay.

"I love you Jade, I always will," she whispers, her arms wrapping around my waist.

My heart stops. She's saying her goodbyes, I can hear it in her voice. On this train, we're still safe. Pretty soon we'll have to go to training centre, give interviews, who knows where our friendship will be by then? We may already have let the poison set in by then.

"I love you too Cat, forever and always," I whisper, closing my eyes and resting my chin on her head. I bite down on my lip hard, thinking that pretty soon, Cat and I could be dead. I care about Beck too, but I don't love him like Cat. Cat is my sister, Beck is my close friend. Beck's death would hurt, Cat's would destroy me.

**POV **

I didn't really sleep much, I kept replaying Jade and I's conversation over and over again in my mind, troubled by the thought that once we enter the Capital, our friendship might be plauged with the venom of the Capital and it's citizens. By the time I did start to feel a bit drowsy, Effie burst into my room saying to wake up, it's going to be a big day! I rolled out of bed and pulled on the same jeans from yesterday, but opt for a long sleeved white shirt today.

As I enter the dining car, Haymitch, Robbie, and Beck are sitting at the dining table. Effie brushes past me saying something about damn Haymitch.

"Sit down! Sit down!" Haymitch commands. I slid into a seat beside Beck.

"Where's Jade?" I ask.

"Effie tried to wake her, but she almost threw her lamp at her, so she left her alone," Beck explains. "I'm sure she'll be up soon."

A server brings me a plate of food piled with eggs, ham, bacon, fried potatoes, and a bowl of fruit. Cups of orange juice, coffee, and a brown liquid are also placed in front of me. I pick up and the brown liquid and sniff it, it smells like chocolate.

"They call it hot chocolate," Robbie say quietly. "It's really good."

I take a small sip, and the creamy, hot, sweet liquid runs down my throat. I quickly down the thing without taking a breath.

Beck laughs and hands me his cup, before taking a sip of the coffee. "It's bitter, but with sugar it tastes pretty good," he says, lifting the mug with coffee.

I take his hot chocolate and start sipping on that one, trying to savour it. Jade walks in at this moment, and stalks her way over to a seat beside Robbie. A plate is quickly placed in front of her, and she starts on it hungrily.

"That woman is mad," she growls stabbing a fried potato.

Haymitch chuckles before knocking back a glass with a red juice. He keeps thinning it out a with a clear liquid, a smell I am quite familiar with. I don't know Haymitch personally, but I've seen him at the hob buying white liquor. Jade detests him, saying how he's the reason why every district 12 tribute ends up dead. No sponsors want to deal with someone like him. I think that there's something behind his drinking, a secret pain. Jade says I'm too kind.

"So you're supposed to give us advice," Jade says.

"Here's some advice. Stay alive," Haymitch says, and than he bursts out laughing. Beck gets a hard look in his eyes. He suddenly knocks Haymitch's glass out of his hand. Haymitch looks at his shattered glass on the ground before punching Beck in the jaw, sending him flying out of his chair.

I don't know what comes over me, but before I know what I'm doing, I send a knife flying into the wall beside Haymitch's head. I know I could have hit him, and I think he knows it too by the way he looks at how deep the knife went into the wall.

I think he's going to hit, but he doesn't. Instead he sits back and looks at Beck and I.

"Did I actually get some fighters this year?" he ponders.

Beck rises from the ground and sits back in his chair. There's a bruise forming on his jaw, and I feel my fist tighten Jade's holding a fork in her hand and raising her left eyebrow at Haymitch.

He chuckles to himself before commanding that we stand up. We all comply and he circles around us.

"You're not entirely hopeless, you three," he gestures to me, Beck, and Jade, "you seem fit. You're all fairly attractive, especially you handsome," Haymitch says pointing at Beck. The games aren't exactly a beauty contest, but looks do help when it comes to sponsors.

"I'm going to make a deal with you guys. Don't interfere with my drinking and I'll stay sober enough to help you out," he says. "How does that sound?"

"Better than what we had five minutes ago," Jade snips.

"You have a mouth on you," he fires back. "We're going to be pulling into the station soon, and you'll be put into the hands of your stylists. You're not going to like what they do to you, but don't resist."

"No fr-" Jade begins.

"Do it!" he yells, before grabbing a bottle of alcohol and leaving the compartment. The windows suddenly go black, darkening the room. We must be in the tunnel that runs up through the mountain into the Capital.

We all stand in silence, and I feel my heart stop beating. The tunnel reminds me of the mines and my father, trapped, unable to reach sunlight, buried forever in the dark. The train finally pulls out of the tunnel and I feel the beating return to my heart.

Beck and I both run to the windows, dying to see what we've only seen on TV. The TV didn't do it justice, not at all. It didn't capture the colours or the magnificence of the city right.

People dressed in eccentric outfits, with wild hair and surged faces begin to point at us excited as they recognize a tribute train. The lambs for the slaughter. I back away, paralysed with fear at their exicted faces, knowing we're here for them, for them to bet and cheer as we fight to the death.

"Monsters," Jade hisses. Beck starts to wave at them. "What the hell are you doing?"

"Hey, who knows," he says, flashing a smile at them. "One of them could be rich."

Jade narrows her eyes, and my mouth opens and closes a few times, unsure of what to say.

Has the poison already set in?


End file.
